Manchester
by LuminaCarina
Summary: What happened in Manchester, and how Hedwig first took her stage. - Non-Magic AU. Prequel to the Grey Wind.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

**Warnings: **Non-magic!AU, fem!Harry, OOC-ness

**This is a prequel to another work – the Grey Wind. Meaning, it contains references that cannot be understood unless one has read the Grey Wind. Please remember this.**

Harry perched herself as high as she possibly could. It was rather hard, what with the way the wind was blowing. But she could do it, she could!

She fumbled with her phone when it buzzed. ''Hello?'' she answered hesitantly. She still didn't understand how they worked.

/Harry, my sweet!/ Cedric's exuberant voice came through. /I have just finished with the wires! Perhaps you could tell me when the boys in the blue come out?/

Harry wrinkled her nose worriedly. ''Why do you want to know about them? Did you change our plans? Are you in trouble?''

/No, no, my sweetest! But I may have possibly cut their electricity also, and they may be a tad excited. Isn't it marvellous, Harry? More spectators!/

She considered that. Their little project was there to honour a very special night for them. They had chosen to steal the electricity because it was dirtying their beautiful world by being used for nonsense, but the Police needed electricity for actual good work. But they were spending it too, cops or not cops. Hmmm…

''We can make it up to them.'' She decided. ''Maybe I could do a little dance just for them?''

/Wonderful, my Harry! You do that and I'll just… ah… I'm sorry, my Harry, but I must go now. Ta-dah!/

''Bye, bye Ced – oh, the line is dead.'' She frowned a bit at the weird contraption in her hand. Wasn't it rude to just hang up like that? But since it was Cedric she would forgive him.

She settled deeper in the shadows to watch out for the Police. It didn't take them more than two or three minutes to come out to check out the wires for themselves. She took in a deep breath and prepared herself by lighting all the little glow-in-the-dark star stickers she had pasted on her clothes. Here she comes!

Pulling down her mask, she walked out from the shadows and into the light cast by the moon.

''Hello!'' she greeted cheerfully. ''I'm Hedwig, and me and my friend have stolen all your lightning. We'll give it back, don't worry, but not tonight. It's a really special night, you see, and we wanted to share it with you! So be nice and watch!''

Taking another deep breath in, she moved forward and stepped onto the telephone wire. She ignored the startled shouts and yelled out, half-heard orders and focused on her footsteps. One, two, three, and four!

She heard what sounded like an owl but was actually Cedric warning her, and caught the pole he tossed her. She almost slipped and fell, but quick balancing had her upright again. Now feeling much more secure with the stick to balance her out, she took to actually dancing on the wire.

It was hard in that one had to remain perfectly balanced throughout it, but was actually rather easy. She walked across the wire once, twice, waving her arms and shimmying her legs so that it looked like all the little glowing stars were flickering, and then, having reached the telephone pole, started spinning around and doing what looked like a complicated choreography but was actually improvised body and limb movement.

All the people below them had stopped taking in fear of startling her and making her fall. But now they were beginning to be mesmerised by her little dance.

And then Cedric joined her on the telephone pole across her. Laughing, because he wasn't supposed to be there, she stepped onto the wire again and walked towards him. Only, he didn't let her reach him all the way and met her halfway.

They were… glorious together. She and her best friend, they spun and leapt and walked and wiggled, looking for all intents and purposes as living, breathing pieces of the night. But all good things must come to an end.

''My good people!'' called Cedric. ''We have shared what we wanted to with you, and you will have your lightning back by the morning.''

Harry bowed at them from her own pole, and continued. ''We must go now, but we hope you won't forget about us.''

They bowed out by slipping into the shadows. Harry didn't even notice the sudden explosion of whispers from the people who had watched them, nor the Police officers' cursing. She joined Cedric on the rooftop.

''Manchester is really nice. Do you think Kingsley will see?'' she asked.

Cedric took her hand in his own, bigger one. ''I am certain he will.''

**Unedited.**

**Unbeta'd.**


End file.
